B. O. L. O. is a law enforcement term that stands for “be on the lookout”. BOLOs are issued to police officers by dispatchers based on specific criminal intelligence. BOLOs usually include details about a crime suspect, such as estimated age, race, height, and weight. They might also give vehicle and clothing descriptions. Law enforcement officers are known for talking in codes and slang. BOLO is one of those slang words that can be more accurately known by other names such as an “All Points Bulletin” or an APB.
Jesus also issues BOLOs. Jesus warns us “to be on the lookout” for sins and evil. All throughout the Bible, God has been issuing us warnings, BOLOs. His warnings are issued to benefit us, to help us, and to guide us. He tells us to watch out for the tricks of the enemy. “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” 1 Peter 5:8.
He warns us to be aware of false teachers. He tells us to watch out so that we are not deceived. He tells us that many will come in His name, claiming to be Him, but He warns us, not to follow them. He not only issued a BOLO, but also an APB (All Points Bulletin).
God loves us and He doesn’t want us to get hurt. There are many warnings in the Bible and it is all because of God’s love for us. He warns us about reaping what we sow. In Proverbs 26:27, sums it up like this, “If you dig a pit, you will fall into it; if you roll a stone, it will roll back on you”. In other words, you will reap what you sow.
We have been warned about malice. Proverbs tells us that, “Malice backfires; spite boomerangs” . We are warned about lying. Some of us will skirt around the truth and tell ourselves that “we really didn’t tell a lie," not directly, anyway. Sometimes, we will just exaggerate the truth or the story, especially if it’s someone that we don’t like. Proverbs 26:28 says, “A lying tongue hates those it hurts”.
God warns us about boasting. We should not boast about what we are going to do, nor about our accomplishments, not about our achievements, nor about our material possessions.
God warns us about provoking people. Proverbs 27:3 says, “Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier that both”.
God also warns us about a jealous spirit. He tells us that jealousy is an even more powerful and dangerous than anger and fury. Proverbs 27:4 says, “We’re blasted by anger and swamped by rage, but who can survive jealousy?”
God gives us many warnings. These warnings he issues are BOLOs. He warns us to “be on the lookout," for malice, deception, boasting, lying, provocation, anger, fury, jealousy, and many more.
There are many things we should include in our prayers, but those are somethings that should always be included in our daily prayer. We need to ask God to guard our hearts, because sometimes these things sneaks into our hearts, unbeknown to us. Then they strike out at someone, just like a snake strikes.
Father, please forgive us of our sins. The ones that we are aware of and those that we are unaware of. And please deliver us from ALL evil and temptations.
Watch, Pray, and “BOLO”!